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What do four- and five-star hotels do with furniture that...

February 13, 2000|By Pamela Sherrod.

What do four- and five-star hotels do with furniture that is too tired for their luxe standards?

-- E.M., Glenview

Robert Allegrini, director of public relations for the Chicago Hilton and Towers Hotel, says when it's time for Hilton hotels to get a new look, older furnishings are sold to Cooper Furniture, 1929 S. Halsted St., 312-226-2299, and Windy City Furniture, 2221 S. Michigan Ave., 312-225-9777.

Kurt Karchmer, vice president of one of the oldest hotel-furniture liquidators, says the 90-year-old Cooper Furniture was started by his great-grandfather, Sam Cooper. Hilton is one of the many hotel chains that sell furniture to the company, Karchmer says. Other chains include Marriott, Hyatt, Sheraton, Four Seasons and Embassy Suites. Cooper resells the cache from these hotels to the public, other hotels and motels, and churches.

"Every winter, hotels refurbish," Karchmer said recently. "They usually go through the process every four to six years, depending on the hotel, but most hotels are in some stage of refurbishing."

Karchmer says the Hilton redecorates rooms two floors at a time. The hotel employs a design staff that selects new furniture and replaces the old pieces, which companies like Cooper buy from them.

Designs are by leading furniture-makers such as Henredon, Drexel, Baker and Thomasville. In the seven-story Cooper Furniture warehouse there are lamps ($10 to $15); boxsprings, mattresses and frames ($100 to $150); bedroom sets that include armoire with television, full- or king-size bed, nightstand, three lamps, two pieces of art work, two mirrors a desk and desk chair ($250 to $600). Desk chairs and desks sell for $25 to $50 each, but the price is reduced when more than one chair or desk is purchased.

The company also offers never-used remnant carpeting and padding ($3 to $5 a yard) at Cooper New Carpet, 2042 S. Halsted St., 312-738-1222.

"Our biggest business is carpeting. We also install," Karchmer says. "You'd be surprised at the big fancy homes on the North Shore that we've outfitted with carpeting at these prices."

Although the prices are low, Karchmer says he always is willing to deal.